Hello!! I am a 21 yr old female and have suffered from headaches for as long as I can remember. When I was 17 yrs old my doc ordered a battery of tests that included MRI's, CAT scans, EKG's-you name it and we did it. At first they thought I had a tumor-negative-thank GOD!!He diagnosed me w/cluster h/a and put me on a drug cocktail that left me sleepy, cranky and barely able to function. We switched doc's thinking it might be allergies. That doc put me on allergy meds-didn't work. It took almost 3 yrs of agony to find a doc who diagnosed me w/ migraines. I have been on so many drugs in the almost 5 yrs that we began our search. I've tried Midrin but built up an immunity to it and no longer works. The Imitrex injection is AWESOME but my new doc is cautious about using that too frequently b/c I am so small--that thing knocks me out for a couple of hrs and I awaken refreshed and pain-free for about 3-6 hrs. The times after those injections are the ONLY pain-free times that I can ever remember having in my life. My new doc is not a neurologist but a simple down home GP. Poor man inherited me b/c my neurologist was 2 hrs away and on vacation when my worst attack occurred. I'd had a severe "simple" pre-migraine h/a for about 2 weeks and then actual migraine for about 3 weeks. In that time span I was put on codeine, narcotics and other heavy hitting drugs. All I did was lay on the couch in the dark burrowed under the covers crying b/c of the pain. My grades began slipping at college, my work began to think I was faking no one understood my agony. The pain finally went away but not before I had tried some 10 different meds. Doc finally prescribed Zomig tabs. which seemed to help the first few months. I am now back to square one where nothing works. I have met this wonderful guy who also suffers from them, luckily for me he understands my pain and is very supportive. He gave me a good tip that seems to help alleviate some of the pain if done at the onset of migraine attacks. I now take a steaming bath for about 30 mins when I first feel the attack, then take my meds and pass out in bed. For some reason the heat and steam helps-I guess cuz the muscles are made to relax. Does anybody have any meds. that work really well or alternative solutions?? Please let me know--as I am willing to try anything at this point. I really wish that I could at least be rid of the daily h/a anyway.
Peace & love-Emily
Emily <EKM310@aol.com>
Lawton, OK USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 11:45:10 PM
TO BARBARA B: Thank you so much for your kind words in your message. I really do appreciate it! :)
Sorry to hear about your email not working right now. I hope you get it working again real soon. Please email me when you have it fixed, ok? Thanks again, you are very kind!
Jana <JTROUTEN@aol.com>
Atlanta, GA USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 08:51:18 PM
I really HATE this new format that is being used in the journal!! I can't even read the entries in full as it doesn't even fit on my screen! Is everyone else having this problem? It makes it really difficult to read the entries when it goes off the screen.
someone
USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 08:44:54 PM
Hello everyone, I am very glad I finally discovered a webpage where I can talk with other people who will listen and respond to my concerns about headaches. I'm 24 years old and I have been suffering from "mixed" headaches-that is what my doctor called them-ever since I turned 18. My headache pain is a combination of migraine and muscle-tension headaches. Usually I start off with a migraine and then it ends up being a muscle contraction headache that goes on for days. It usually ends up lasting for a period of more than two/three weeks. What I a wondering is if anyone had an aura proceeding the headache in which he/she yawns too often and if one of their eyelid droops during the actual headache. Right now I have a headache that has been on and off for about three weeks and its driving me nuts. Another thing I wanted to ask is if anyone has a sensation of instability or not walking on firm ground during the headache, I seem to be balancing back and forth. My doctor when I visited him, he put me on Zanax and told me to take three advil on the onset of the headache. The Zanax makes me really drowsy but doesn't really work. Any suggestions? Please answer me. Thanks and I hope everyone has a pain-free day
Sophia <MMamakou @aol.com>
Brookline, MA USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 08:22:15 PM
i haven't been around for a while.. but i just read a lot of people talking about their docs using paxil to control their migraines. I am 16, i've been on paxil for depressiong since I was 12, ranging from 5-30mg like right now. I've had migraines for nearly a year and a half now, they were basically constant til i was put on my current cocktail of meds. But my contant drugged state is ruining my life, nearly as much as the migraines did. I can't concentrate, i'm always lethargic and dizzy and can't hear well and still get a migraine at least once a week.. HELP any ideas?
Amy <crickey82@aol.com>
Pittsburgh, PA USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 08:12:11 PM
Barb: Thanks for answering the question. I also have a skin condition
called Pitorisis Alba, where my skin is very sensitive to sun, almost
an allergy. I wonder if the Paxil is contributing to it? It's not really
so much of a bother as it is annoying when my hands itch. Oh well at
least the Migraines arent as frequent! God/dess help me this week as I am
getting on a plane to fly to the New England area. I know that I am aksing
for trouble, but I really want to see my friends & family up there.
I can almost guarntee that I will have a migraine After landing because
of how much I tense up during a flight, so at least a day of my vacation
will be lost *sigh*. I wish you all well. Have a Pain Free Day! ~Dianna
Dianna <ghost@gte.net>
NPR, FL USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 06:43:52 PM
Well, isn't it good to be back after some down time today? I noticed that when I couldn't get "on" to read up on what's going on with all you guys I really missed you. So I'll stop "lurking" so much & post more. Right now, I'm withdrawing from cafergot because of rebound headaches, but it's HARD! I finally took 2 doses of the damned stuff today, because I was so sick of the continuous 4 day HA I've been having. Still not feeling all that wonderful. Well, at least I've gone 3 1/2 days without it. Does that mean I'm detoxed? I will be seeing a new doc this week & will request new scripts for soemthing to sub. for the cafergot. Wish me luck. Any recommendations? (other than the imitrex injections. I already have that & it works great usually, but I don't want to use it too much). Take care everyone.
catherine <cadams@ilnk.com>
Jacksonville Beach, FL USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 05:15:22 PM
TO DIANE: Have to put message on journal, because still experiencing difficulties with e-mail, but I did want to respond to your question. My skin disorder started because it is a metabolic disorder, which causes my skin to be very sun-sensitive. The paxil aggrevated the condition. My dermetologist contacted the manufacturer of paxil, and they said that they had no known documented cases of it causing any kind of skin disorders, or aggrevated any skin disorders. I was happier with the migraine control on paxil, but I had to do something, to stop skin flareups from getting worse. My skin burns and itches from the skin disorder, so I can't really tell you if the paxil is causing it. I hope that this helps, because I know that it is hard to understand why it is happening. Somehow, the manufacturer of paxil is going to have to see that maybe there is a correlation between paxil and skin problems. Now, I'm on 100 mgs of neurontin twice a day, and a 400 mg dose of neurontin at night. Let's hope this works as well as the paxil. I have gone up to 5 months without a major migraine on the paxil, but the control has not been as good with neurontin. Have to hope for the best. Barbara B
Barbara B
USA - Date: 01/10/99 (Sun)
Time: 03:15:37 PM
